Lubin Theater
140 Fifth Street W,
Cincinnati,
OH
45202
140 Fifth Street W,
Cincinnati,
OH
45202
No one has favorited this theater yet
Showing 5 comments
According to the local paper, the Lubin Theatre took over a clothing retailer’s location and carved out the Lubin Theatre location and opening in January of 1909 on a 15 year lease. That lease was renewed until 1930.
The Lubin Th. and the Alhambra Nickelodeon were beside each other but seperated by a bargain clothing store on West Fifth Street.Both of these structures started live as retail stores and the movies just converted them.
In its closing days The Lubin was part of I.Frankel’s chain of cinemas including The Alhambra,Crystal,Colonial and Ohio theatres, many were originally built for the Jackson-McMahon string of Cincinnati houses. Frankel’s last surviving theatre,The Avenue, was constructed in 1915,located at 122 Fifth St.,it lasted into the early 1940’s. Today the site is a Macy’s Dept. Store.
Mr. Lubun of Phidelphia was an Eye Doctor who was credited with offering free eye exams to his patients, and what better business to morph into after selling them new glasses than the cinema field. Lubin set up a production company to supply films for his enterprises,sounds like he learned early what the Warner Bros. realized that the man who eliminated the middle fellow was far ahead of the game. Apparently the free eye exams idea was adopted by many other eye firms in the early glass selling days, sadly it doesn’t continue today. This Lubin Cincinnati Th. must have happened not long after Marcus Loew had opened his Fountain Square penny arcade here in 1906.
The Lubin Nickelodeon opened in 1907 and closed April 29,1930 the final manager of this house was Moses Wilchins who died at age 70 in 1965. Wilchins was also the manager of 3 other early nickel shows on 5th.St.they were The Ohio,Colonial,And The Avenue Theater. Moses worked for the Frankel Bros. Realty Co. who owned many theaters in Cincinnati also Newport,Ky .